This week we are rebroadcasting our episode with Kurt Russo on the People Under the Sea, originally aired in October of 2018. Kurt and Ayana’s conversation explores the powerful memory held by Southern Resident orcas, the threats they face from vessel noise, chemical pollutants, and declining Chinook salmon population, the health of the Salish Sea, and the Lummi Nation’s sacred duty to return Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (formerly known as Tokitae/Lolita), from where she is being held captive at Miami Seaquarium, to her natal waters in the Salish Sea. 

This episode remains timely as another Southern Resident orca was presumed dead in late January 2020, bringing the total population of Southern Residents down to 72, the second-lowest it has ever been since official counting began. As we reflected back in 2018, the uncertainty of the Southern Resident orca’s livelihood mirrors that of our planetary community if we continue to act with reckless abandon. Southern Residents have continued to show us their capacity for love and loss, asking the people above the sea to make the necessary changes. There are many actions planned for March of 2020 and different ways you can support and make an impact in the lives of Southern Residents listed below.

Kurt Russo has worked on environmental issues, land preservation, and treaty rights with the Lummi Nation for 40 years. He is the Executive Director of The Foundation for Indigenous Medicine and the former Director of The Native American Land Conservancy. He holds a BS and MS in Forestry and a Ph.D. in History.

We are honored to once again share this episode with you as a profound reminder of the place we share with the qwe 'lhol mechen, their capacity for memory, grief, and love, and the many ways that the Lummi Nation continues to protect, defend, and restore the Salish Sea.

♫ Music by Monplaisir and Amoeba

Episode References

To learn more about Lummi Nation’s Salish Sea campaign and the return of Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, visit Sacred Sea.

To learn more about the status of Southern Resident orcas and the threats they face, read the Southern Resident Orca Task Force’s Final Report and Recommendations

Take Action

Call Governor Jay Inslee at 360-902-4111 and insist that Washington take the appropriate measures, as outlined in the Southern Resident Orca Task Force’s Final Report and Recommendations. It’s important that Gov. Inslee knows that the global community is watching and expects swift action to be taken. 

Submit a public comment on the draft environmental impact statement on the operation of 14 dams in the federal Columbia River hydropower system. The comment period is from 2/28/20 to 4/13/20. This is critical because the EIS has to assess dam removal on the Lower Snake, and currently, the draft’s preferred alternative is to keep all of these dams in place. Breaching these dams is a key step in restoring wild salmon runs and protecting the remaining southern resident orcas. It’s important that you write an original comment, for ideas of what to say visit PNW Protectors and March For The Dams. You can submit your comment here.

Write to Miami Seaquarium (4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149) or call at 305-361-5705 and urge Andrew Hertz, President and General Manager of the Seaquarium, to release and repatriate Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) to her native waters. 

If you are local to the Salish Sea area, consider attending the first annual Netse Mot on 3/21/20, an Indigenous-led event for the Salish Sea, held at the Washington State Capital in Olympia. For more information, or if you’d like to attend, visit Netse Mot for Xw’ullemy.

Consider joining the first March For The Dams, a 22-day walk from Portland to the Ice Harbour Dam. The march started 3/1/20 and will end on 3/22/20, it seeks to raise awareness and put pressure on the Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, and the US government to breach the lower 4 Snake River dams. You can join any day, to learn how to participate, visit March For The Dams. 

If you’re local to the Salish Sea area, considering joining Protectors of the Salish Sea.

Donate directly to Sacred Sea to help efforts to bring Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut (Tokitae) home.

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